Jeff Bryant writes here that Betsy Dezvos lied (or used “alternative facts”) when explaining her supposed views about accountability to the Senate HELP committee.
http://educationopportunitynetwork.org/new-reports-reveal-the-big-charter-school-accountability-lie/
Not only did she offer alternative “facts” (lies) about her own views on school accountability, but the actual fact is that charter school “accountability ” is an illusion, a falsehood, a lie.
Michigan and Florida–Jeb Bush’s protectorate–are leading exemplars of no-accountability charters.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Bill Phillis at Ohio E&A (Education and Accountabilty ) has a brief article on Devos today.
Ed Markey sent me a long letter re: Devos and this is one paragraph from his letter.
“DeVos was also in charge of the All Children Matter Political Action Committee (PAC) in 2008 when it violated federal and state campaign finance laws. The PAC was fined $5.3 million for breaking the law, but instead of paying the penalty, the group halted operations and disbanded. In December 2016, I joined Senators Udall, Brown, Merkley, and Sanders in two letters calling for DeVos to ensure that the PAC for which she was responsible pays the millions of dollars in fines and late fees it owes to the state of Ohio.”
If you are calling senators in your state it is good to know about Udall, Brown, Merkley, Sanders etc.
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It’s also worth calling Lamar Alexander as committe chair. If DC phone is busy, call one of his TN offices.
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here is the Bill Phillis posting for today at Ohio E&A ”
“Should Betsy DeVos, the nominee for the U.S. Secretary of Education, take responsibility for the $5.3 million her defunct PAC owes Ohio?
The PAC that Billionaire Betsy DeVos chaired and helped fund owes Ohio $5.3 million in fines for illegal actions while promoting charter schools in Ohio. Laundering money in her zeal to charterize Ohio was the issue.
This matter was recently aired on the U.S. House floor, but the fine will not likely be paid. Although the DeVos confirmation vote has been delayed twice, she will probably be confirmed.”
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DeVos’s record speaks for itself. She is determined to figure out ways to use public funds for private education by any manipulation necessary. The fact that she dodged Kaine’s attempt to force her to commit to equal accountability is not a surprise, Putting Devos in charge of public dollars is putting the fox in charge of the hen house.
Florida’s reputation for lax oversight is the main reason why grifters and con artists flock there. First, Jeb Bush and now Scott have created a free, open market rife with crooks for charters. The legislature contains several members that have invested in the charter industry, and the conflicts of interest are ignored. At the same time the public school students are tested to death.
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DeVos refused to answer the question because the only “accountability” she believes in for the (preferred) charter and private school sector is “markets”.
A lot of far Right ed reformers believe this. It’s fairly common in the “movement”
They don’t want charter and private schools regulated at all.
DeVos is really far Right. No one in Michigan questions this, because it’s so obviously true. That all of ed reform denies she’s far Right is silly. Of course she is.
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Can the 45 million children who attend public schools get a hearing before DeVos is confirmed?
They weren’t represented at that hearing They were barely mentioned. Instead we had the usual laser-like DC focus on private and charter schools.
Public school parents have a right to know what DeVos has in store for their children’s schools. This question was not addressed by our Senators.
Can we travel to DC and ask for an audience with the federal employees we’re all paying? That they omit public schools from these debates is outrageous.
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Media is reporting DeVos will have to “build bridges” to public schools.
What a ridiculous situation. The Secretary of Education has zero experience with public education.
So in a country where 90% of children attend public schools they hired a charter and private school advocate- someone who speaks ONLY to those schools.
Ridiculous. Tell her not to bother contacting us. It’s not my job to introduce her to the whole concept of public schools.
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Reformers’ do believe in accountability –parents voting with their feet. It’s the standard free-marketeer answer –you don’t need regulation. If you make a crappy product, consumers will stop buying it, and if it’s harmful, consumers can sue you. Why does government have to get involved? That is a sort of accountability. Is it enough? I don’t think so. By the time the taxpayers figure out they’ve been stolen from, kids’ education has been irreparably harmed and the money is in the Cayman Islands.
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Public education is a right, not a market commodity. OT, so is healthcare.
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Yes–education is a right, and it’s necessary for maintaining a vibrant democracy. But if you need more (ponderosa), unless you are already a medical doctor or an educator, you cannot use those services for yourself or your children without a certain amount of trust and belief–both in the doctors and educators and in the systems of checks, credentialing, and ongoing education that accompany such professions. It’s not like buying a can opener and then realizing it doesn’t work, or hearing from your neighbor that this kind of car is a lemon–and so “vote with your feet” and don’t buy one.
If we cannot even understand that difference . . . .
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Education is not a commodity. Neither is healthcare. “Standard free-marketeer” theory is a super warped way of meeting basic human needs.
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“Jason Botel, a Maryland education advocate and founder of a well-regarded city charter school, is expected to be named a senior White House adviser on education.
Politico first reported the news Tuesday night, and said Wednesday that Botel would be working with the interim secretary of education to lead a group of 18 new Department of Education staffers.”
Not one person in the US Department of Education working for the 45 million kids in public schools.
Will there be a single public school parent, teacher or leader consulted on public school policy?
Tens of thousands of public schools and no one in DC could find a single person from any of them to work at the US Department of Education. Public schools are simply excluded from consideration. Need not apply at the federal government.
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One week into the Trump Administration and so far the only mention of public schools has been “failing” and “dead ends”- endless discussion of charter and private schools- nothing on public schools.
Not looking good for the 45 million in public schools. The federal government seems to not be aware they exist.
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Here’s a typical ed reform site:
Try to find a single story about a public school. You won’t find one.
That’s because public schools are completely omitted from the ed reform discussion. Look at any of their sites, any of their debates, any of their meetings, planning sessions, etc. No public schools. They all set POLICY for public schools. It’s just that public schools aren’t included when they’re doing it.
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My school in iMichigan s one that may close for low performance. The day the announcement was made two of our teachers were contacted by National Heritage Academies out of Grand Rapids. They were recruitment letters trying to get our teachers to jump ship. The emails said other teachers would be contacted shortly. Crush and pillage.
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From the Los Angeles Times: “Federal agents raided the offices of a network of Los Angeles charter schools Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of fraud and fiscal mismanagement.”
“The charter organization, Celerity Educational Group, opened its first L.A. school more than a decade ago, but it has recently drawn the scrutiny of the inspector general of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles. It currently manages seven schools in Southern California, and has ties to four more in Louisiana, all of which are publicly funded but privately operated and exempt from many of the regulations that govern traditional schools. . . . ”
http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-edu-celerity-charter-schools-20170125-story.html?utm_source=Today%27s+Headlines&utm_campaign=d68e80fa51-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b04355194f-d68e80fa51-79916137
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I know the panel was limited in time (5 minutes – Lamar, you used to be level headed. What happened?), but did anyone flat out ask Ms. DeVos when was the last time she stepped into a public school, be it elementary, middle or high school? That, among other answers she gave, would have been a tel-tale sign.
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